Ellen DeGeneres Gave Naqeeb the Will to Live

For more than three years, our friend Naqeeb was trapped in Afghanistan while at the top of the Taliban’s hit list because of his work in support of America. Hidden away in his family’s home while waiting for a visa to come through that would allow him to find safety in the U.S., he spent his days knowing that at any moment the Taliban might break into his home, possibly torturing and killing his family, in retaliation for his service. Naqeeb lost all hope.

More than a year into hiding, while scrolling his Facebook feed, a video from The Ellen Show auto-played. While watching it Naqeeb smiled for the first time in a year. He spent the next several hours watching EllenTube. The next day he did the same thing, and again, and again. Each day he smiled and each day the videos that we rarely give a second thought gave him the will to live.

The team here at No One Left Behind worked diligently with Naqeeb during this time, helping him secure his visa and resettle in America. Supported by donations of time, money, and furniture, once he landed safely in our nation’s capital, we modestly furnished his apartment at no charge to him, and helped him find the ultimate opportunity to start over: a job.

But there are many, many more just like Naqeeb. Last year, No One Left Behind helped resettle more than 1,700 Afghan and Iraqi interpreters and their families. The U.S. State Department estimates that there are at least 10,000 more interpreters currently in Iraq and Afghanistan who are in grave danger just like Naqeeb was, with most of them married and with more than one child. No One Left Behind’s mission is to save and support these people.

Please share this video with your friends and family. Donate if you can. Thank you for your support of the many interpreters just like Naqeeb who have risked their lives in support of U.S. Armed Forces. Every little bit helps.